NBAA Update Archive

Bookmark and Share

NBAA Update #03-20
Monday, May 19, 2003

NBAA Update is the National Business Aviation Association's weekly e-mail newsletter, providing the latest operational, regulatory and political news for the business aviation community. Send your comments about NBAA Update to update@nbaa.org.

POP-UP PRESIDENTIAL TFRs MAY MAKE AIRPORTS UNAVAILABLE TO PART 91 OPS
Members should be aware that Presidential/VIP temporary flight restrictions (TFRs) are expected to increasingly be invoked on short notice, and typically exclude all Part 91 and Part 135 operations within a certain time window, eliminating access to airports and airspace affected during those times. Although NOTAMs always should be reviewed prior to flight, these unpredictable TFRs may make business aircraft origin airport, destination airport or enroute airspace inaccessible. Members are cautioned to be especially vigilant regarding this inconvenience, expected to accelerate with the political season. For more information, contact NBAA at info@nbaa.org.

FAA REAUTHORIZATION AND SECURITY BILLS EXPECTED TO GO TO HOUSE THIS WED.
The House Committee on Transportation & Infrastructure is expected to send bills reauthorizing funding for the FAA and improving aviation security law to the full House of Representatives this Wednesday, May 21. Legislation to reauthorize the FAA must be enacted by October, and NBAA continues to urge key members of Congress to maintain and initiate programs beneficial to business aviation through the legislation. In addition, NBAA has joined with other general aviation organizations to encourage lawmakers to address provisions in relatively new transportation security law that have proven detrimental to general aviation airport and airspace access, foreign flight training and other considerations. NBAA will report the results of Wednesday's activity in next week's issue of Update and on NBAA's web site at:
www.nbaa.org

REAGAN NATIONAL AIRPORT ACCESS: HOW SOON?
Read NBAA President Jack Olcott's perspective on why it is time to restore general aviation operations into Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) for qualified operators.
www.nbaa.org/news/update/2003/pres03-20.php

NBAA SUPPORTS DEVELOPING NEXT-GENERATION AIR TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
In a May 12 letter to Congressional officials responsible for aviation legislation, NBAA joined with nine other associations in praising the inclusion of language in Senate Bill 824, which would establish a national program office for the development of a next-generation air traffic management system as recommended by the Commission on the Future of the U.S. Aerospace Industry. NBAA and the other groups emphasized that the current downturn in demand provides an opportunity to pursue fundamental improvements in the system that will be required when higher demand levels return. For more information, contact NBAA's Pete West pwest@nbaa.org. Review the letter in PDF format at:
www.nbaa.org/gov

FAA ENHANCED SURFACE MARKINGS PROGRAM UPDATE
Last year, the FAA initiated a project, titled Enhanced Surface Markings, to investigate various applications of enhanced airport surface markings to improve pilot situational awareness in the runway holding position environment. NBAA Members are invited to examine an Enhanced Surface Markings web site, created by the FAA and MITRE Corporation, at www.mitrecaasd.org/pvdmarkings for a demonstration of enhanced airport surface markings at T.F. Green International Airport (PVD) at Providence, RI. NBAA is helping to coordinate a pilot questionnaire currently under development, which will be posted to the MITRE web site on or after June 1. For more information, contact NBAA's Jeff Gilley at jgilley@nbaa.org.

ARE FAA ADVISORY CIRCULARS AVAILABLE ONLINE?
The FAA has all current Advisory Circulars (ACs) available on its web site. On the FAA home page at http://www.faa.gov, under the section titled Regulatory/Advisory, click on the words "Advisory Circulars" to access the Regulatory and Advisory Aviation Support & Regulation web page, which contains links to all the AC indexes. Specifically, users can access Draft Flight Standards ACs, Regulation & Certification ACs, Airports ACs, Air Traffic ACs, and Commercial Space ACs. For more information, contact the NBAA Operations Service Group at info@nbaa.org.

CALIFORNIANS, PROTECT YOUR AIRPORTS
California Assembly Bill 332, which discourages incompatible land use near existing airports, would require local agencies planning to renovate or construct public buildings to utilize various criteria in the Department's Airport Land Use Planning Handbook and FAR Part 77. NBAA encourages Member Companies in California to contact their California State Assembly Representative via phone, fax or e-mail to support this bill. For more information or to comment, contact NBAA's Dan Burkhart at dburkhart@nbaa.org. Contact information for state elected officials is available via the NBAA web site at:
www.nbaa.org/congress

CUSTOMS SERVICE AT VNY AND BUR THREATENED
Through the hard work of NBAA and its Members, Customs service has been available at Van Nuys (VNY) and Burbank (BUR) airports in California for nearly four years. However, Customs service was recently reduced from 24/7 availability to the following schedule: Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. and weekends from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. NBAA Members interested in avoiding future reductions in the service -- or in regaining 24/7 service, as a fee-based benefit -- should contact NBAA's Dan Burkhart at dburkhart@nbaa.org.

AVOID TRAVEL DELAYS IN CHARLOTTE, NC THIS WEEKEND
Operators in the Charlotte, NC region this weekend are advised that the Carquest Auto Parts 300 and the Coca Cola 600 NASCAR races will take place at the Lowe's Motor Speedway in Charlotte on Saturday, May 24 and Sunday, May 25. Air traffic is expected to be busier than normal on the afternoon of Friday, May 23; the morning of Saturday, May 24; and Monday, May 26. Plan accordingly to avoid congestion and delays. For more information, contact NBAA's Dean Saucier at dsaucier@nbaa.org.

FAA MEETING ON JUL. 1 TO FOCUS ON HOUSTON AIR TRAFFIC INITIATIVES
The FAA Southwest Region Air Traffic Division will host a customer forum to discuss the progress of ongoing air traffic initiatives affecting Houston area enroute and terminal traffic. The meeting will be held July 1, from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the Houston Airport Marriott, George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH), 18700 John F. Kennedy Boulevard, Houston, TX, tel: (281) 443-2310. The agenda will include the Houston Class B airspace area modification, an update on the Houston-Area Air Traffic System program, an update on construction planning and timeline for Houston area airports, and an overview of the National Airspace Redesign High Altitude Plan. The FAA encourages customer agenda items and/or presentations. For more information, contact FAA's Joe Yadouga at (817) 222-5597 or NBAA's Bob Lamond at rlamond@nbaa.org.

CONNECTICUT BUSINESS AVIATION GROUP TO MEET THIS WEDNESDAY
The Connecticut Business Aviation Group will hold its quarterly meeting on Wednesday, May 21, at 11:30 a.m. at the New England Air Museum. The featured speaker will be Tomin Kalpaxis of the FAA Northeast Airspace Redesign Team. All operators in the Northeast region are invited to attend. For more information, contact NBAA's Dean Saucier at dsaucier@nbaa.org.

NBAA MAINTENANCE COMMITTEE HOLDS RAFFLE TO BENEFIT NEW SCHOLARSHIP
During its Maintenance Management Conference this week in Charlotte, NC, the NBAA Maintenance Committee announced a raffle, sponsored by NBAA Member Company Richard Childress Racing (RCR), to benefit the new 2003 Maintenance Management Conference (MMC) 100 Years of Powered Flight Scholarship. The Committee will raffle a Snap-on Roll Cab Toolbox valued at nearly $7,500. Participants may enter the raffle by August 14, 2003, and the winning raffle ticket will be drawn on August 15, 2003. For more information about the MMC 100 Years of Powered Flight Scholarship or to download an application, visit www.nbaa.org/scholarships. To participate in the Snap-on Roll Cab Toolbox Raffle, individuals may submit entries online at:
https://secure.nbaa.org/public/cs/mmc/2003/raffle.php

NEW YORK FORUM TO FEATURE FAA EASTERN REGION AND TSA SPEAKERS
NBAA's New York Business Aviation Forum & Static Display, to be held on Thursday, June 5, at Republic Airport (FRG) in Farmingdale, NY, will feature more than 50 Exhibitors and over 30 aircraft on Static Display. Other Forum highlights will include opening remarks by Arlene Feldman, regional administrator for the FAA's Eastern Region, and a special security session with Robert A. Albracht, TSA director of aviation operations and Paul Crispi, TSA Federal security director. Republic Airport is conveniently located within a short flight or drive from most New York metropolitan-area business aviation airports, including Westchester County Airport (HPN) in White Plains, NY; MacArthur Airport (ISP) in Islip, NY; and Teterboro Airport (TEB) and Morristown Municipal Airport (MMU) in New Jersey. For more information or to register, contact NBAA's Benjamin Jones at bjones@nbaa.org or visit:
www.nbaa.org/seminars/baf

AVKIDS.COM HELPS TEACHERS CELEBRATE 100 YEARS OF FLIGHT
AvKids is an NBAA program designed to educate elementary school students about the benefits of business aviation to the community and the career opportunities available to them in the business aviation industry. At the AvKids.com web site, educators can receive free materials about the Wright Brothers and the science of flight to celebrate the Centennial of Flight. Many of these materials, including the AvKids Activity Guide, have been created by teachers and conform with the National Standards of Learning. Learn more at:
www.avkids.com